Tangible Play Osmo

This toy was a 2014 Toy Award winner. In the world of touchscreens and online games, it seems as if physical play is on a decline. Instead of separating the two forms of play, the developers at Tangible Play combined them together to create a pretty cool game. Introducing Osmo, the game that uses elements of physical play with virtual to help kids develop creative thinking, problem solving, and social interaction skills.

Every Osmo game comes with a base to support the iPad (currently only works on iOS) and a mirror to deflect the iPad's forward-facing camera toward the tabletop to create an area that will interact with the on-screen apps. Currently, there are three different games to play: Newton, Tangrams, and Words. In Newton, kids use a simple pen and paper as well as other objects like their own hands to deflect tiny bouncy balls on the app into targets on-screen. In the Tangrams, kids have to use physical shapes to match with the shapes that they are seeing on the screen. The app will detect which pieces are in the right orientation on the table and respond on the app. In Words, kids use included word blocks to spell out the on-screen hidden word by tossing each letter piece in front of the screen.

When asked what they liked about this toy, one kid said "everything," while another kid said they like it because they "learned something from this toy." This fun, interactive, and educational new way to play is sure to be a hit.

How We Tested: The Engineering Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute reviewed hundreds of toys and games released in 2014 and screened them for educational, creative, social, and physical benefits as well as their fun factor. The remaining 93 toys and 57 board games award contenders were evaluated to make sure they meet standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It also performed additional lab safety checks (including using our Drop Tester to be certain toys didn't shatter into small pieces that could become choking hazards). Finally, we had 167 children testers play with the toys and board games and fill out surveys to rate their fun factor.